New Homes Need Inspections During Construction

Builders sometimes try to avoid a private home inspection for a number of reasons. Some builders don't feel many home inspectors are qualified to perform whole house and structural inspections, while other builders just say that "we will provide you with a house that has been approved by the county inspectors, so you do not have to worry."
But an inspection (performed at certain stages of construction) are a very good idea. According to Frank Lesh, the current president of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), "even new homes have defects that only a professional can detect."
Keep in mind that in many counties, the government inspectors are busy and do not have time to carefully look at all aspects of the new home. Often, by the time the county inspector makes a site visit, your builder may already have put up the drywall, thereby covering up potential electrical or plumbing issues.
Many new home warranty issues can be avoided if the buyer been given the right to inspect the new home as it was being built. In one case, the new homeowner kept hearing pipes knocking every time the upstairs bathroom sink was turned on. The homeowner forced the developer to open up the walls -- at the developer's expense -- and found that some of the plumbing pipes were not properly affixed to the wall. The building inspector that the homeowner retained -- after the house had been completed -- determined that this was what he called "water hammer."
Indeed, in this case, the builder acknowledged that had there been a periodic, professional inspection, the problem would have been detected earlier, at a significant cost savings to the builder.
ASHI recommends a three-pronged inspection: prior to the pouring of the foundation, prior to insulation and drywall, and finally prior to the final walk-through.
You should tell the builder that you want the right to have an inspector of your choice -- and at your expense -- to conduct these three inspections. The sales contract you sign should spell this out in clear terms.
There are many components involved in a new home, such as the roof, the foundation, the electrical and plumbing and the heating and air conditioning systems. I recently heard of a situation where a homeowner complained that the new house was not being adequately cooled, and when a professional inspected the system, he discovered that the builder had made a mistake. The system that was designed for a smaller house was accidentally installed in the house that was inspected.
Once again, the builder had to spend a lot of money correcting the situation -- money which could have been saved had there been periodic inspections.
There are two major home inspection organizations: ASHI and the National Association of Certified Home Inpectors. The State of Alabama Building Commission offers a list of certified inspectors at http://www.bc.state.al.us/HI_search.asp?search=huntsville&submit1=Search .
If you do not have the name of a competent inspector, you can find one by going to one of these organization's websites or just call Craig for names of inspectors his clients have recently used. When you contact a home inspector, ask about his/her qualifications and background as well as a list of clients you can contact. In the past few years, when real estate sales were quite strong, many people with little or no experience opted to hang up their shingle as "home inspectors." Alabama does have laws involving certification of home inspectors, and the full list of these state laws can be found on the ASHI website. But just because an inspector has passed a certification test, does not mean they are the most qualified or will do the most professional inspection.
If you decide to hire an inspector, get a copy of the inspector's contract before you formally commit yourself. Read it carefully, and make sure that the inspector will be doing the job you want. Ask for an example of the report they will provide to you. Ask if your report will be available to you electronically, with written detail on every aspect of each major component, as well as color photos documenting any deficiencies.
Purchasing a new home creates significant anxiety among many potential homebuyers. Why not get an inspector to be on your side to relieve you of at least one aspect -- namely is the house built properly or will we have problems after we close?